Question for GWX team regarding loss messages

[GoldenRivet]

Okay to start with, Im not trying to pick on GWX2 - believe me, everyone on the team knows im a loyal GWX user... i simply have a question of realism regarding radio communications from BdU in GWX2 that i didnt notice in previous versions.

I will try to make my case as fair and peaceful as possible... Here goes.

While playing the game i have received a number of radio reports that read something like the following:

"We regret to report that U-123 has been sunk by warships, 43 dead, all hands lost"

Let me make the following points clear before anyone responds to this post.

Pro: This is a great new feature for GWX2 in the way that it really provides an external sense to you how the u-boat war is progressing... you get more and more of these reports as time drags on, and the radio reports really start to indicate the deparation the u-boat fleet was facing toward the mid-end of the war.

Pro: Players are able to get a broader idea of the history of the war by knowing when and how boats were most frequently lost.

IMHO this section of the mod detracts from the realism slightly and for the following reasons:

Con: This section of the mod frequently places players in the awkward position of sailing along in his U-Boat "U-123" and then receive a message that "U-123" has sunk. this has happened to me on a few occasions. while im thinking "What? im right here driving U123 around... U-123 is not sunk! Hogwash!"

Con: In the political-propoganda of the 3rd reich in World War 2 i find it highly unlikely that U-boat losses for the day, week or month would have been radio broadcast from BdU to the entire fleet. This is not only demoralizing, but this information was probably tightly controlled not only to keep a positive public perception of the war but to prevent British forces from coming across the information.

Con: lastly, Every time i receive one of these messages, it comes across the air waves on the very day the boat was lost. not only is it listed on the exact date of the boats loss, but there is also a reason for the loss indicated (aircraft, warships or scuttling etc.) and there is also a count of survivors and number of dead. In the defense of realsim i have to add that it was often several weeks or months before BdU was informed of captured survivors etc... not to mention the many months or even years after the war was over before anyone knew exactly what happened to a sub. some sub losses are still not fully explained IIRC.

finally, is there any modification that can be enabled to prevent these messages from coming across? and if not, i respectfully ask, what is the GWX team's level of awareness of this issue, do they view it as an issue at all, and do any plans exist which will modify the messages or remove them in the future?

Now, i realize that deleting all of those messages from the files might be a pain, so i will completely understand if the GWX team wishes to leave it as it is and not modify a thing. If this is the case i will gladly return to pealing my spuds quietly and I will simply have to ignore BdU when they tell me i am dead and i will make sure the rest of my crew is not made aware of our losses.

thanks for your time guys!

~GR

[Kpt. Lehmann]

LOL, your timing is uncanny.

Lost U-boat messages have been removed for the 2.1 update.

More comments in a bit. Am in a TS conference at the moment.

[GoldenRivet]

well...

Okay then!

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Well, the power went out while I was writing up my comments and I lost my train of thought.

However, what would be more appropriate is to see BdU making repeated requests for situation reports from U-boats failing to report in when expected... and therefore giving a sense that a given U-boat was missing in action.

Sometimes what seems like a good concept in theory, doesn't always turn out to be so in execution.

At any rate, the messages in question have been removed for GWX 2.1.

Neat stuff... but for the reasons you and I have mentioned... it didn't 'feel right.'

My only regret is that someone put a great deal of work into entering all those messages... and now we are cutting it out. That doesn't 'feel right' either if you know what I mean.

Originally Posted by Kpt. Lehmann

My only regret is that someone put a great deal of work into entering all those messages... and now we are cutting it out. That doesn't 'feel right' either if you know what I mean.

I definitely know what you mean. That was a lot of work and effort. I agree with GoldenRivet's 'cons', but I have to admit I found the loss messages a bit, ummm, awesome . . . in that gonad-tightening way, especially playing very late war and seeing just how many of my comrades were being lost.

Instead of just whacking them clean, I like Vacillator's idea. That would be just as ominous to hear: repeated calls to boats that never answer, and also intercepting distress calls from boats that are in deep doo-doo.

[bigboywooly]

Originally Posted by Albrecht Von Hesse

Instead of just whacking them clean, I like Vacillator's idea. That would be just as ominous to hear: repeated calls to boats that never answer, and also intercepting distress calls from boats that are in deep doo-doo.

Maybe if I ever get time
The messages came to me translated from Italian or Spanish
Cant remember which
Took a fair bit of tidying up but needed refining I think

If anyone wants to take on the task of rewriting additional messages carry on

[Vacillator]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

Con: In the political-propoganda of the 3rd reich in World War 2 i find it highly unlikely that U-boat losses for the day, week or month would have been radio broadcast from BdU to the entire fleet. This is not only demoralizing, but this information was probably tightly controlled not only to keep a positive public perception of the war but to prevent British forces from coming across the information.

Con: lastly, Every time i receive one of these messages, it comes across the air waves on the very day the boat was lost. not only is it listed on the exact date of the boats loss, but there is also a reason for the loss indicated (aircraft, warships or scuttling etc.)

Just a small thought here. I'm reading 'Iron Coffins' by Herbert Werner and he describes an attack on a convoy in 1943 during which his sub picked up 9 radio messages from other boats saying they were sinking as a result of air attack etc. and also calls from BdU for two other boats to report which went unanswered.

So some of the info would have been 'out there', but certainly not the amount you described .

[GoldenRivet]

thats true... but distress signals from a U-boat is one thing... BdU broadcasting the loss and fate of a U-boat every time one goes missing is another.

I like the idea about distress calls and BdU sending repeated attempts to hail a boat.

[Abd_von_Mumit]

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

I like the idea about distress calls and BdU sending repeated attempts to hail a boat.

Supported.